


Trust

by SpyderScully



Category: The X-Files
Genre: F/M, Season/Series 07
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-29
Updated: 2014-11-29
Packaged: 2018-02-27 09:14:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,353
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2687321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpyderScully/pseuds/SpyderScully
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The words they've been saying for years are finally said out loud.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Trust

He was brushing his teeth, willing the scruffing sound to be quiet, even though he ventured a guess that Scully was still asleep in the living room.  
He had taken a quiet look at her after he’d had a quick douse in the shower, though whether it was to check to see if she was still awake or if he wanted to make sure she was still there, he wasn’t sure. He had whispered her name softly by the door jamb, knowing it was a futile effort; she had simply been through too much today to be awake. She hadn’t even responded when he carefully moved her from leaning back against the couch to lay on her side so she’d be more comfortable.

By the time he had finished brushed his teeth, he was already aching with the need to check on her again. Creeping quietly across his bedroom and back out to the couch, he peered through the dimness. By the light of the streetlamp shining golden rays through the window he could see the mound of his throw blanket covering the small lump that was Scully. She still hadn’t moved since he’d left her.

He smiled to himself. With luck she’d be asleep until morning and would be flustered and shy after spending a night on his couch. He’d briefly indulge in relishing how sweet and vulnerable she looked rumpled with sleep and then he would make it up to her with breakfast.

He made his way back to his bedroom, ridding himself of his shirt and all but collapsing on the mattress. Here he was in bed now, warm and comfortable in his sweatpants while Scully lay stiff and probably itchy on that couch. He didn’t doubt she was still sound asleep, but she would be uncomfortable when she woke and he knew that even if she wanted to stay, she’d leave out of embarrassment - either from falling asleep with him or opening her heart, he couldn’t be sure. Mulder wasn’t about to let the opportunity rise to let her leave; he wanted her comfortable and he wanted her with him.

With a loud huff he catapulted himself out of bed, slipping his shirt back over his head as he made his way back out to the darkness of the living room. She was still sound asleep, and though he hoped for the best, she most likely wouldn’t remain that way when he tried to move her.

As gently as he could, he ran his hand over the blanket-covered mound of Scully, locating her hip through the thick material. Carefully sliding his arm beneath her shoulders and the other behind the back of her thighs, he lifted her and the blanket easily into his arms, pressing her into his chest as he made his way back toward his bedroom.

He was about to mentally congratulate himself on not waking her when he heard a soft murmur and felt her arm sleepily slide around his shoulders. She still seemed drowsy despite his rousing her and he shushed her soothingly.

"It’s all right, Scully," He whispered in what he hoped was a soothing tone, "I just didn’t want you sleeping on the couch."

"I need to…go home…" She mumbled thickly as he set her into a sitting position on the bed, pulling the blanket from around her and tossing it across the room. Mulder didn’t acknowledge her statement and felt guilty when he was glad she didn’t pursue it. She allowed him to guide her to turn and rest her head on the pillow but as he began to cover her with the blankets she made a quiet whine of protest, her hands clumsily pushing at the hips of her skirt. He swallowed, understanding that she merely didn’t want to sleep in her work clothes, but his attempts to tamper down the building sensation of arousal went unheeded by his body.

Wordlessly he helped Scully sit back up so both of them could remove her skirt and stockings, taking half a step back to allow her to pull her sweater off herself and leaving her in her bra and underwear. The true state of her exhaustion finally impressed him when she carelessly flung her top aside, letting out a husky groan as she fell onto her back against the pillow again. Ignoring the fact that she looked so soft and warm and that he’d like nothing better than to hold her and kiss her back into the lull of sleep, he resisted touching her, covering her with the sheets before making his way around to the other side of the bed and crawling in beside her. He kept his clothes on; Scully was only half aware of where she was and knowing her as he did, he didn’t think he could bear another morning of her waking up with the embarrassment of having let herself be vulnerable in front of him. Never mind seven years of partnership and nearly six months of meaningful intimacy: Scully didn’t trust in that manner until she was ready to trust in that manner.

He was just deciding to leave a comfortable space between them as well when he felt her hand shift across the mattress, blindly reaching for his. Eagerly he took it, interlacing their fingers and feeling rather than seeing her resulting smile.

"Mulder?" Her voice was so quiet, yet at the same time he could detect the softest note of alertness. What she was about to say was not in a sleepy haze, and something fluttered in his belly when he realized he suddenly knew it was paramount that he heard whatever she was about to divulge.

Mulder slid closer to her across the bed and she willing went into his arms, making him smile. He felt her snuggle against his chest, pressing her face into the crook of his neck. He held back a chuckle of joy when he realized that this moment was the most trusting Scully had ever been of him; fifteen minutes ago he thought it had been when they were sitting together on the couch. He was holding her for no other reason than she wanted him to, and she was letting him. Her voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

"Mulder," she said again, her breath a whisper against his neck, "I love you."

He knew. He’d hoped and guessed and fantasized for a while, and even though he was content with that statement frequently pouring forth from her eyes rather than verbally, hearing it spoken from her lips was unlike anything he had ever experienced with her before.

It took everything in him not to squeeze her hard enough to crush the life out of her. He settled for burying his face in her hair and sighing deeply.

"I love you, Scully."

He’d expected a touched and amused chuckle. He’d expected a soft “I know”. But what he got was a shiver and Scully snuggling deeper into his arms. A bit startled, he drew back a little, brushing her hair away from her face in an attempt to look at her, but she refused to pull her head from where it was pressed against his shoulder. It was then that he realized that she had unknowingly needed to hear it too, even though he suspected she had already been aware of how he felt about her. He knew her well enough to acknowledge that she needed a moment to deal with the rush of sensation.

He chuckled softly, aware of how much was still the same despite so many changes in their recent history.

He whispered it to her again, pressing an unnecessary emphasis on the word “love” just to make her shudder once more. He felt a shy kiss against the side of his neck and then her body grew heavier as she slid into sleep. He let himself drift for a while, stroking her hair and relishing the soft feel of her body against his as she breathed slow and deep and twitched slightly in her sleep before he allowed himself to join her.


End file.
